- Date
- January 1, 2008, 16:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Arcola, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N579RMMicco MAC-145B
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 31, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20080101857909A
- Case key
- 67324
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control. A contributing factor was the prevailing crosswind.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The private pilot was conducting a touch-and-go in a tailwheel-equipped airplane with a direct crosswind component of 15 knots gusting up to 20 knots from the left side of the airplane. During landing, the crosswinds began pushing the airplane to the right side of the runway. While correcting back to centerline the pilot reported that a combination of over-correction and gusty crosswinds caused a loss of control. The airplane ground looped, departed the left side of the runway, and came to rest upright with the nose of the aircraft pointed approximately 180 degree from runway heading. Damage was sustained to the wing spar.
Factual narrative
The private pilot was conducting a touch-and-go in a tailwheel equipped airplane with a direct crosswind component of 15 knots gusting up to 20 knots from the left side of the airplane. During landing, the crosswinds began pushing the airplane to the right side of the runway. While correcting back to centerline the pilot reported that a combination of over-correction and gusty crosswinds caused a loss of control. The airplane ground looped, departed the left side of the runway, and came to rest upright with the nose of the aircraft pointed approximately 180 degree from runway heading. Damage was sustained to the wing spar.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N579RM
- Reported as
- Micco MAC-145B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 260004
- Airframe hours
- 516
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 1, 2007
- Departed
- T20 · Gonzales, TX
- Destination
- AXH · Houston, TX
- Airport
- AXH · Houston-Southwest, runway 090, 5,003 × 100 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 1, 2006
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,000 total · 260 in this make and model · 870 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 14 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.62 inHg
- Observed at
- SGR
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.